Senate Democrats call on Trump, GOP to end attack on health care

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Senate Democrats are calling on President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans to cease hostilities and defend Medicaid, which millions of Americans depend on.

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania, and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, are demanding that Trump end what they call a systemic sabotage of health care.

This comes as the Trump administration throws its weight behind a lawsuit in Texas that would put an end to the Affordable Care Act, threatening coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, and roll back Medicaid expansion.

Jeneva Stone is an advocate with Little Lobbyists. For her and her family, Medicaid has been a lifesaver. Her son Rob suffers from a rare disease and she says medical bankruptcy was a real possibility before they received Medicaid in 2012.

“Because of Medicaid, Rob can be with his family rather than a nursing home, where no 21-year-old man should be,” Stone said.

“We had spent over a quarter of a million dollars in out of pocket medical expenses,” she continued.

But Senate Democrats say Medicaid and America’s health care system, which protects millions of others like Rob, are under attack.

“The administration gave us a reminder about Medicaid recently. They said that in their budget that they wanted to cut Medicaid by $1 ½ trillion,” Casey said.

“The Trump Administration’s assault on the American healthcare system has reached new unprecedented levels,” Murphy added.

Murphy says the stakes are high. The Trump administration is involved in a lawsuit in Texas that would put an end to the Affordable Care Act and roll back Medicaid expansion.

“The result of this lawsuit succeeding would be a national humanitarian catastrophe,” Murphy said.

Despite demands from Democrats for Republicans and Trump to save Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, the president intends to move forward with his plan. It’s even become part of his campaign speech.

“We got the individual mandate – the absolute worst part of Obamacare – eliminated and now we’re going for the rest,” Trump said. “And we had it done except for one vote, you know what I’m talking about. One vote.”

But Casey says if Trump succeeds, he and Congress will have to answer to the millions of Americans whose lives are put at risk.

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